Life as a Rock: 1 Peter 2:4-12
A. Did your Mom ever say, “Behave yourself. Remember you’re a _________ and you never know who might see you.”? Mine did. I hated that…because she was right. You just never know who might be watching. Especially now, as a Christian, and even more so as a future minister of the Gospel – people are going to be watching to see if I’m living up to what I say I am.
B. We live in a culture today that tells us that Mr. Jones is a Christian and he is such a good guy…just don’t catch him Saturday night at the pool hall. Mr. Smith down the street has a great relationship with God...but you ought to hear him talk to his wife. Mrs. Robinson across the road must be going to Heaven because she volunteers on Saturdays at the nursing home…just don’t get on her bad sad or she’ll destroy you with gossip.
a. Anyone can be a good person! Being a good guy is not enough.
b. I saw a bumper sticker – “If going to church makes you a Christian, does going to the garage make you a car?”
C. Because we, as Christians, are God’s chosen people – people who profess to be the people of God – we need to live holy, separate, and distinct lives from the world around us so that we might draw people to us and therefore to God.
D. Peter, in his first epistle, writes to Christians in the area that we know as Turkey, whom he reminds of just this fact. These are Christians that are suffering persecution at the hands of Nero. Peter reminds them to keep going – keep their eyes on the prize. Becoming a Christian was a good thing. And in 1 Peter 2:4-12, he reminds them that their conduct may be able to bring some to God. He does this by:
a. Reminding them who they are and what that means – vs 4-6.
b. Contrasting the believers with the disobedient – vs 7-9a.
c. Making a plea to (these that he calls) the pilgrims – vs 9b-12.
Transition: Look over at our text and listen to verses 4-6.
I. Peter reminds them who and whose they are. (Vs 4-6)
A. Peter, right off the bat, compares them to Jesus. He says Christ was rejected by men but chosen by God.
1. He says in vs 5 that you also, as living stones… The “also” associates us to what Christ went through.
2. He was rejected – we will be, too. But, He was chosen by God. We too, are chosen by God. Christians are so described because they derive their very life from Christ!
B. He says, “…you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood…”
1. Peter says that you now, as Christians, are part of the new house of God – living pieces of this house. More than that, you are now the priests!
2. As this is written primarily to Jews, this was language they could understand. Dealt for years with the temple and the priesthood. They are now the crucial parts of the spiritual house – the church.
3. Exodus 19:6 – called a “kingdom of priests”. Under the Law of Moses, priests were to oversee and offer up the sacrifices for worship for the people.
a. Now, in the Christian worship of God, all Christians are priests and therefore constitute a priesthood of believers who may ALL worship!
b. For what purpose? Last half of vs 5 says that they are to offer up spiritual sacrifices TO God THROUGH Jesus. Again, it is all based on Jesus!
4. Peter supports the idea of all acceptable worship has to go through Christ by referring to prophecy in verse 6.
a. Quotes Isaiah 28:16 – Whoever believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.
b. Stay strong through your persecution because you are God’s chosen people!
C. I am proud to be a member at Linder. Olson is proud to be a member at _________. And I know that all of you all who are members here are proud of the _____________ church of Christ. But, Peter reminds us of what is better than being called a member at Linder…He says you are living participants in God’s spiritual house. What more could we ask for? What better name to be called?
Transition: (Read vss 7-9a)
II. Peter contrasts the believers to, what he calls, the disobedient – vs 7-9.
A. Peter uses some interesting language in this section. He initially continues with his thoughts regarding the believers.
1. He says, “…to you who believe…” This passage ought better to be translated as “in view of the preciousness of Christ, that preciousness, (literally ‘honor’) is transferred to you who believe.
2. The honor from God is available only to those who believe. The consequences fall on those that do not believe; notice that Peter equates belief with obedience.
B. But to those who are disobedient…Peter again quotes from the Old Testament in vs 7-8. He quotes Psalm 118:22.
1. He continues with the imagery of the stone from vs 4 and 6 and the idea of the stone being rejected by the builders.
a. The word “rejected” means “to cast aside after trial and examination, as one casts aside spurious coins.”
b. Christ, after being thoroughly looked over and tested, was cast aside by the Jewish leaders…and He became the cornerstone upon which the church was built. This was a willful, though out rejection, not something they just missed.
2. He goes on in vs 8 with a quote from Isaiah 8:14. “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” What does this all mean?
a. The words for “stone of stumbling”– a rock like you might catch your shoe on in a path and fall and suffer injury.
b. The “rock of offense”– a big rock, as in a trap that catches the unwary.
c. Peter is emphasizing the ruin and disaster that await all those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.
3. Peter says, “they stumble.” How Peter? By being disobedient to the word to which they also were appointed.
a. He is not saying that they are predestined to stumble but that stumbling is the inevitable result of disobedience.
b. Those who reject Christ on their own volition are doomed to stumble – they will fall and may be injured in their fall.
C. In verse 9, the clouds part, the birds sing. “But you…” I looked this up to see, actually to confirm what I assumed I knew. This “but” was going to be alla – the strong but. But no…this is de.
1. What is emphasized here is the “you”. You can hear Peter saying this: “But YOU…you…you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…His own special people! You can hear the pride, the reassurance in Peter’s voice.
2. He is making the point as a vivid contrast to those who, in their disobedience, are doomed to stumble and the great blessings of the children God. He calls them:
a. A chosen generation – (ASV) – “an elect race.” Peter says by God’s calling, Christians have become God’s new chosen race of people.
b. A royal priesthood – You’re royal because you’re in the family of the king. You’re priests because now you are the worshippers.
c. A holy nation – Christians are the equivalent of an entire country set aside to serve God.
d. His own special people – The KJV says “peculiar”. That doesn’t work so well with us, means you’re a weirdo! But what Peter is saying is that we are that have a character that separates us from the world around us.
Transition: So what do we do with the honor that God has bestowed on us as His own special people? Peter, now that you’ve told us WHO we are, tell us why God did this. (Read 9b-12).
III. Peter makes a plea to the Pilgrims – vs 9b-12
A. Peter says that we should now proclaim (could be translated “show forth” or even better – “to celebrate”) the praises of God!
1. He never stops reminding them of who and whose they are, though.
2. Vs 10 he says, “Remember, you once weren’t a people – now you’re God’s people. You once had not obtained mercy – now you have mercy!”
3. We are to celebrate the greatness of Him who called us into His light and made us His special people!
B. In verse 11 Peter says, “Beloved, I’m begging you…I’m pleading with you…you who are a people of God who are simply passing through this life anyway… live lives that are godly in spite of persecution. Live lives that will make those around you take notice.
1. Abstain from fleshly lusts. Stay away from the things that will make you just like those around you. Peter is never one to use soft language. He tells us that these things will WAR against your soul.
2. He says be godly around all those you come in contact with no matter what they say or do to you. Why? So that when they see you good works, which they observe – to scrutinize; to inspect closely – they will glorify God when given the opportunity.
a. Tertullian wrote in approx. 210 AD that Christians should be blamed even for natural disasters and thrown to the lions.
b. Pliny accused Christians of superstitious, cannibalistic deeds (risen body of Christ).
3. No matter what comes against you, be it slander or persecution, live godly lives so they may be drawn to God when they have the chance – when the opportunity visits them.
a. When a child is praised – the parents are, in the end, the ones who are honored.
b. When Christians are praised, God is honored.
C. Bro. Turner story:
1. Brianna, age 8, good ice-skater. Couldn’t go to competition on Wed.
2. Coach angry – next meet, they find a church and go.
3. Church pays for gas, puts them in hotels and their homes. Coach tells him that there must be something to this God.
4. “…having your conducts honorable…day of visitation.”
A. Peter encourages the church by reminding them that they are God’s people. He compares the hope and blessings they will have to the destruction of the disobedient. And, he tells them that their conduct may bring some to God.
B. Because we’re the priesthood, we’re the chosen race, we’re the people chosen by God…we have to live lives that draw people to God.
C. Are you? Is your life the life that will make someone say, “There must be something to this God you serve.”?
